SERENA’S POV

Later that night after the celebration of the trial, I left my room in search of some warm milk I suddenly craved.

And then I found Kaden lingering in the dining hall having a late snack. He spotted me and rose at once.

"Serena, wait - we need to talk," he insisted, closing the distance between us. I tensed, wishing to avoid just such a confrontation.

"There's nothing to discuss, Kaden. Now if you'll excuse me-"

But he blocked my path firmly. "No, we're not going to keep avoiding each other in this house. It's been months of this uneasy tension and I'm fucking sick of it."

I...